New Haven, USA: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has tied Africa’s future to the Continent’s ability to share opportunities and produce of the land fairly and equitably, ensuring inclusivity and holding of free, fair and credible elections.
Raila’s Coca-Cola World Fund at Yale Lecture titled Afro-Optimism - Has the Pendulum Swung Too Far? Focused on the period from 2000 to 2010, saying Africa underwent tremendous change in those ten years.
He appealed to leaders to learn what the Continent did right in those 10 years and carry on with them.
“So much has changed between 2000 when the Economist declared Africa "a Hopeless Continent" and December 2011, when the same magazine proclaimed “Africa Rising,” with a real chance to follow in the footsteps of Asia.
He paid particular attention to issues of democratization, equity, sharing of wealth and ending corruption as insurance against relapse into the misery and hopelessness of the past years.
He said the gains are products of progress on the political front saying the Continent’s “democracy dividend” must not be reversed.
He pitched for devolution of power and resources saying it held key to the Continent’s stability and prospects for growth.
“Inclusivity must be the name of the game. We must decentralize and devolve power and resources equitably to all our citizens. We must spread the benefits of growth,” Raila said.
The former PM called on leaders to tackle inequality “as a matter of priority” saying that together with lack of opportunities for those at the bottom, it threatens the future of many nations and can actually bring down governments.
“Without attention to the issue of equity, growth will continue being mistaken for progress and Africa’s journey to the future shall remain uncertain,” he said.
He blamed inequality and lack of access to opportunities for some of the conflicts reemerging in previously stable African nations like Central African Republic.
“While these conflicts are seen as governance challenges that can be addressed by sending in peacekeepers, they have deep economic roots and claims of exclusion from opportunities and development,” Raila said.
He said experience of the last ten years clearly shows what works and what does not and the Continent has no reason to fail again.
He singled out the move towards greater democratisation and involvement of citizens in public affairs as the reasons for the great strides the Continent has made on the economic front.
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Raila called for fiscal discipline, asking leaders to guard against “irresponsible borrowing for ego projects that add no value to the lives of citizens.”
With economic growth being witnessed across the Continent, Raila said Africa needs to invest in far reaching economic reforms and reign in corruption, tribalism, nepotism and patronage.
He challenged African nations to invest in electoral and political reforms to anchor economic growth.
“Africa must particularly learn to hold free, fair and transparent elections. Every vote must count. Every vote must be counted. Most of Africa’s political problems start at the polls,” he said.
Raila is in Yale at the invitation of the university’s Macmillan Centre for International Affairs.
He is set to address an Economics class later Friday before leaving for Mozambique as head of an election observer mission.
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